Means for excluding dirt and liquid from bearings and driving mechanism of centrifugal machines



M. LEITCH. MEANS FOR EXCLUDING DIRT AND LIQUID FROM BEARINGS AND DRIVING MECHANISM OF CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 1920.

.. 1 38 1 22 Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

I A m 5 Z 1' k J M MY/ LeZfC/Q Jan/47W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MEREDITH LEITGH, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE LAVAL SEPABATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR EXCLUDING DIET AND LIQUID FROM BEARINGS AND DRIVING MECHANISM OF CENTRIFUGA L MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Application filed February 7, 1920. Serial No. 356,988.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MEREDITH LErroH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, county of Dutchess, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Excluding Dirt and Liquid from Bearings and Driving Mechanism of Centrifugal Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to centrifugalizing machines having vertical spindles. The object of my invention is, without additional friction, to prevent the' entrance of dirt, water, milk or other foreign substances'to the to bearing or the interior of the casing contaming the driving mechanism and at the same time prevent waste of oil.

It is a well known fact that when the centrifugalizing bowl is removed from a centrifugal cream separator or any other machine of like construction, dust is apt to settle on the top bearing around the spindle, and'there is great danger that it will eventually work into the bearing and cause rapid wear. There is also great danger that, when the bowl casing is being washed, water will fall onto the hearing or the spindle and pass downward between the bearing and the spindle into the frame, where it will mingle with the oil and cause rapid deterioration of the machine.

Many attempts have been made t9 prevent this entrance of dirt and water; Devices which are fairly efiicient for the prevention of entrance of dust are known, but these devices cannot be relied on. to keep out water which falls onto and follows down the bowl spindle.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a part of a machine equipped with my invention, and Fig. '2 is a partial cross-section on a larger scale.

a is a centrifugalizing bowl supported and driven by a spindle b guided by a bearing q having the cushion spring 03. The spring d abuts against a shell or casing e heldin an upstanding hub in the machine frame f. The

casing e is turned outward above the frame and upward at g.

A dust cap it has integral with its roof a cyllndrical portion z' that fits tightly around the splndle b and which, at its bottom, has an outwardly turned flange j. The-length of the cylindrical part i is such as to keep the roof of the dust cap safely above the top of the upturned part of the bearing casmg. The dust cap it has around its outer edge a petticoat is extending downward outside of the upwardly turned portion 9 of the casing 6.

Inside of and free from the dust cap it is another separate member having a cylindrical portion Z of a slightly larger diameter than the top of the bearing 0 and an inwardly turned flange m with a hole large enough to permit the passage of the flange The cylindrical portion Z is short enough to insure that the dust cap will never touch the inwardly turned flange.

The dust cap it prevents falling dust or water reaching the hearing or the inside of the casing e. The petticoat it extends downward so far and at such a distance from the portion 9 that capillary attraction cannot cause water to follow up inside it and over the top of the portion 9'. The cylindrical portion i fits the spindle b so closely that water will not pass between them. Oil thrown off from the spindle b near the hearing orfrom the flange j strikes the inner side of the member Z -m and flows down inside the casing.

When the machine is being operated, the" dust cap soon takes such a position on the spindle that the flange y will barely clear the top of the bearing and so runs without friction.

From the above it is seen that without adding to the friction of the machine, my device will effectually exclude dirt and liquids from the top bearing and the in terior of the frame and prevent the escape of oil.

So far as. my invention, in its complete form, embodies any elements or features that are also embodied in the application for atent filed by Bert B. Wright on February 1920, Serial No. 351,104, such elements or features are not intended to be covered by the claims herein, which are limited to combinations not disclosed in said Wright application.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. In acentrifugal machine, the combination with a spindle and its bearing, a frame having a bearing support, a bearing-inclosing casing between the frame and bearing having an upturned edge, of a dust and water protective cap comprising a neck closely fitting the spindle, an outwardly extending roof overlying the casing and a downwardly extending petticoat surrounding the upturned edge of the casing.

2. In acentrifugal machine, the combination with a spindle, a surrounding bearing support, an intermediate bearing having a' part overlying the bearing support, and a spring element, between the bearing and the surrounding bearing support, of a bearing-inclosing casing having an upturned edge extending above the bearing and the part overlying the bearing, and a dust and water protective cap secured to and revolving with the spindle and overlying and extending down outside and aroud the upturned edge of the casing.

3. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a spindle and its bearing and a bearing-inclosing casing having an upturned edge, of a dust and water protective cap comprising a neck closely fitting the spindle and integral therewith an outwardly extending roof overlying the casing and a down wardly extending petticoat surrounding the upturned edge of the casing; and an oilretaining member inside said cap and casing.

4:. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a spindle and its bearing and a bearing-inclosing casing having an upturned edge, of a dust and water protective cap secured to and revolving with the spindle and overlying and extending down outside and around the casing, and a stationary o1l spray catching member within the cap and around the bearing. v

5. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a spindle and its bearing, of a stationary member adapted to catch oilsprayed by the spindle above the bearing, and a protective dust and water cap fitting the spindle so closely as to revolve therewith and overlying and extending down around the oil spray catching member.

6. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a spindle, a surrounding bearing support, an intermediate bearing having a part overlying the bearing support, and a spring element, between the bearing and the surrounding bearingasupport, of a bearinginclosing casing having an upturned edge extending above the bearing and the part overlying the bearing support, a dust and water protective cap secured to and revolving with the spindle and overlying and extending down outside and around the upturned ed e of the casing, and an oil spray catcher within the casing and cap.

7. A removable protector for the floating spindle bearing of a centrifugal machine comprising a thin shell arranged to be seated in the bearing support and having out \vardly and upwardly extending flange portions, a cap having spindle engaging portions and a downwardly extending petticoat arranged to surround the upwardly extending flange of shell, and an oil spray catcher adapted to be mounted within the shell and cap and having an inwardly extending flange at its upper end.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., on this 31 day of January, 1920.

MEREDITH LEITCH. 

